By Jonny Turner\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jeremy Douglas’ left-field approach paid its biggest dividends yet when Dragon Power scored at Winton on Sunday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The pacer continued his fine form when powering home late for the richest win of his career in a $25,000 Winter Rewards Final.<\/p>\n
While Dragon Power has been a horse in the zone recently, his form hasn’t always been quite as strong.<\/p>\n
The turning point in the horse’s career has proven to be the drastic changes Douglas made to the pacer\u2019s training regime after a run of outs.<\/p>\n
“We couldn’t train another horse the way we train him, but it suits him.”<\/p>\n
“We took a gamble with him, he was consistently running last in the (rating) 35 grade.”<\/p>\n
“One week there I didn’t work him for the week and he came out and run a 1.55 mile then backed up the next week and won.”<\/p>\n
“That is what his training is now, he hardly does anything.”<\/p>\n
“It blows me away that it works and continues to work.”<\/p>\n
“If you had a barn full of horses like him it would be easy.”<\/p>\n
Dragon Power won in a higher grade at Ascot Park in his last start, before winning in the same fashion at Winton.<\/p>\n
Driver Hayden Douglas sat the five-year-old off the pace in both events, before letting him have the last say.<\/p>\n
“Last year when Hayden was learning to drive, he was also driving this horse who was incredibly difficult.”<\/p>\n
“He did a great job of looking after him and building his confidence and now he pulls out and expects to run past others.”<\/p>\n
Dragon Power is raced by a big group of owners, including several who are new to harness racing ownership.<\/p>\n
Another Winter Rewards Final went to another pacer thriving on the southern winter racing scene in Cracker Opie.<\/p>\n
The pacer ran to victory for trainer Brad Williamson and driver Kerryn Tomlinson in a slick time of 2.55.9 considering Winton’s chilly conditions.<\/p>\n
Cracker Opie’s victory was a special one for his Waiuku part-owners Robert and Janice Austin, who sponsored the event.<\/p>\n
Though they farm in Auckland, the owners are big supporters of the Brad Williamson stable and of southern harness racing, regularly making the trip down to cheer on their horses.<\/p>\n
Like Dragon Power, Cracker Opie had been taking on tougher grades and relished a slight step down in company at Winton.<\/p>\n
Tomlinson drove a patient race, staying out of the early burn before capitalising late.<\/p>\n
“They were going a bit early and I thought I would just wait,\u201d the reinswoman said.<\/p>\n
“Before the race I was thinking I would have to make a move into it but I didn’t have to.”<\/p>\n
“They were going so hard early, so the swoopers were going to come at some point and I was lucky enough to be one of them.”<\/p>\n
Honeycomb picked up a deserved Winter Rewards Final victory for trainer Hamish Hunter and driver Peter Hunter, following consistent efforts through the winter.<\/p>\n
Joany Baby pounced late to add a Winter Rewards Final to her resume for trainer Denis O’Connell and driver Brent Barclay.<\/p>\n
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